DEMONSTRATING THE IOWA COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK (ICN)

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Iowa Distance Education Alliance (IDEA) is a partnership involving educational institutions across Iowa that received funding from the federal Star Schools Program to demonstrate the use of the Iowa Communication Network's (ICN) fiber optic technology for K-12 instruction. Iowa Public Television (IPTV), the Iowa Department of Education, the state's three public universities, fifteen community colleges, fifteen area education agencies (AEAs), and many local school districts participated in the project over a two-year period. The project focused on accomplishing six major goals: (1) coordinating use of the ICN, (2) informing Iowans about the ICN, (3) preparing teachers to use the ICN, (4) connecting schools to the ICN, (5) improving instruction in five content areas through use of the ICN, and (6) documenting the effectiveness of the ICN. During the first year of the project, activities focused on teacher training and public relations efforts as the state prepared for the fiber optic network to become operational. The fiber optic network was "lit" during the second year of the project and the project's emphasis then shifted to using the network to deliver programming for K-12 students and teachers, although training and public relations efforts continued.

Key Findings

Iowa's Star Schools demonstration project has been extremely successful. All of the objectives and activities outlined in the IDEA proposal were accomplished during the two years of the project, and the momentum begun with the project is continuing. Cooperation and collaboration among educational organizations in Iowa improved. Innovative instructional activities are occurring over the ICN. Students and teachers who used the system view it positively, as do other Iowans who have seen the system in operation. Some of the highlights of the project include:

Public Perceptions

• Over 75,000 Iowans have heard presentations and received information about the ICN.
• Approximately 15,000 Iowans have seen the fiber-optic classrooms in demonstrations.
• Among Iowans who have seen the system in operation, over three-fourths (76%) believe interactive distance education will benefit K-12 education in Iowa.
• 81% of Iowans believe the ICN is important in providing students with access to resources such as computer databases and experts.
• 79% believe use of the ICN will improve Iowa students' abilities to succeed in a technological world.
• 65% believe all teachers should receive training on how to teach at a distance.

K-12 Student Perceptions

• 7,140 K-12 students participated in instructional courses and events over the ICN.
• Over 800 elementary students participated in a storyteller series over the ICN.
• Among K-12 students who have taken an ICN course, 83% were satisfied.
• 80% of students who have taken an ICN course would take another one and 75% would tell their friends to take one.

K-12 Teacher Training

• 2,866 K-12 teachers participated in inservice courses and activities offered over the ICN.
• 555 K-12 teachers participated in institutes on curriculum reform in mathematics, science, literacy, foreign language, and vocational education sponsored by the IDEA and rated these institutes positively.
• Approximately 900 Iowa educators participated in hands-on workshops to learn how to use the ICN and nearly 90% rated the workshops as excellent.

K-12 Teacher Perceptions

• K-12 teachers want their schools to be connected to the ICN; 96% of teachers participating in IDEA activities reported that having an ICN classroom in their building is important.
• Among teachers participating in IDEA training, 21% have now used the ICN for instructional purposes.
• 100% of K-12 teachers surveyed who have used the system felt distance education is an effective way to learn.
• 100% of K-12 teachers who used the ICN found the equipment easy to manage while teaching.
• Most teachers (75%) found that remote site students learned as much as students in the classroom with the teacher.
• 88% would encourage their colleagues to teach over the ICN.

K-12 Internet Use

• 1,126 K-12 teachers received training in how to use the Internet.
• The IOWA Database, an electronic clearinghouse on the Internet developed as part of the Iowa Star Schools project, is being used by Iowa educators.

Teacher Education

• 82% of the private colleges in Iowa believe distance education is important to include in preservice teacher education.
• Most of the private colleges (82%) were connected or plan to connect to the ICN.

Conclusions

As with any innovation, acceptance of the system as an integral part of K-12 education will take time. Implementation of the IDEA project occurred at a slower pace than originally anticipated, and although much effort was expended in the area of public relations, efforts to keep Iowans informed and to help educators realize the potential of the ICN remain an area for emphasis. Use of the ICN will continue to evolve, and as evidenced by the IDEA evaluation findings, continued success may hinge on future developments in several key areas.

Access to the system

The Iowa Star Schools demonstration project has been so successful that levels of demand for ICN time have increased rapidly, often exceeding capacity. Demands for access to the system, both in terms of physical connections (sites) as well as availability and access to current ICN classrooms has surpassed all expectations. The level of demand has created scheduling difficulties not previously anticipated.

• Action by state government is needed to continue to expand the network. IPTV and the regional schedulers at community colleges will need to continue to provide leadership for the evolving scheduling process.

Policy Issues

Critical concerns for K-12 teachers include additional planning and released time for distance education instructional activities and additional compensation for teaching courses over the ICN.

• District and/or regional and/or state policies need to be determined for teaching over the ICN. The IDEA partners have recommended that the Iowa Department of Education take a leadership role in initiating discussion of these issues.

Operational Issues

K-12 operational issues include coordination of common calendars and class schedules across school districts, the role of the facilitator in the remote classroom, and local costs for maintaining ICN facilities.

• Districts and/or regional and/or state policies and procedures need to be determined to enhance operation of the ICN. Appropriate educational groups to be involved in the discussion of these issues include the Iowa Department of Education, community colleges, AEAs, and local school districts.

Teacher Inservice

Teacher inservice was an integral component of the IDEA project and contributed significantly to its success. The workshops to train teachers to use ICN equipment were extremely effective. The institutes held to inform teachers about current reform efforts in key curricular areas were received favorably. Institute participation increased during the second year of the project and participants appreciated the convenience of inservice training provided over the ICN. Significant interest in the Internet training was also evident.

• Hands-on training for teachers in the use of the ICN and the Internet should be continued in a systematic and coordinated fashion, and equitable and inexpensive Internet access for all K-12 schools should remain a goal. The ICN should also continue to be used as a vehicle for providing teachers with opportunities to upgrade their knowledge and skills in content areas. The IDEA partners recommend that the universities and AEAs take a leadership role in the area of inservice.

Preservice Teacher Education

Information was provided and efforts were made to integrate distance education into the preservice teacher education programs across the state beyond the awareness level. There is a need for increased faculty involvement and training and increased access to ICN facilities.

• Opportunities for learning about distance education should continue to be provided for teacher education faculty and administrators. The Iowa Association of Colleges of Teacher Education (IACTE) appears to be a viable forum for initiating discussion of the role of distance education in teacher education.

Information Access and Coordination

Educators across the state are more aware of the ICN and the capabilities of distance education, but many perceive a need for more information, perhaps centralized, about the system and about activities that are available on the system.

• Information access and coordination should build upon current efforts by the Communication and Resources Clearinghouse, community colleges, AEAs, and other IDEA partners and alternative methods of providing information should be explored. IDEA partners recommend that the Clearinghouse take a leadership role in providing information to educators and students.

Collaboration

Collaboration and coordination among educational organizations contributed to the success of the IDEA project. Continued collaboration and cooperation will be necessary if the system is to be used to its fullest potential. There is general agreement among the project partners that the IDEA should continue and general agreement as to the roles of the partner groups.

• The IDEA partners recommend that IPTV take the responsibility for continuing the partnership and for initiating further discussions of the roles and responsibilities of the participating educational organizations.